Return Game & Effect of Dominant Eye

Are there any eye Specialists that play Tennis? After 25+years of research one of my many observations has to do with the fact there are very few players balanced out stroke production wise on both wings. My theory has to do with which eye is dominant. For example on the forehand side if you see better out of the right eye the player will unconsciously turn his head to get a better look at the ball. This means his turn will not be as natural on that side so his backhand will be better naturally. So, I have found contrary to Wegnerian philosphy the position of your feet is critical (open or closed stance) and the position of your shoulder turn allows for an Agassi type of shoulder **** which means less manipulation of the hands like Roddick's awful backhand on the swing. I would like to validate with a little more science if there is any out there. As teachers we need to overtrain the turn on the non dominant side.

I've heard it said that the best batters in baseball tend to be cross-dominant (such as a right-handed batter who is left-eye dominant). Cross-dominance in baseball gives the dominant eye a better view (or perspective) of the incoming pitch. It makes sense that the same sort of thing would be applicable to tennis.

I'm left eye dominant and tend to hit my FH (righty) much better than my BH. This makes perfect sense with what's been said already (X-dominant), but I have no idea how to "train" myself to hit a BH better. This may be why I favored the 1HBH, b/c the ball is out in front, but I never could control my topspin drives. So, now I live with a less threatening 2H BH...

I'm left eye dominant and tend to hit my FH (righty) much better than my BH.

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I so know what you mean.

My right eye is crap. It sees well but doesn't look. (does that make sense?) Like if I close my left eye, I'll still continue to look with it (I'll see all black) and my right eye will look "through" the black. Difficult to explain. Anyway, I have problems seeing 3D (like 3D movies, 3D tests at optometrists, 3D images,...) and I think it does make my game more complicated. (I totally suck at smash, I see 2 balls while looking at it when it's high).

So I have trouble timing well on the BH and on very wide ball on the forehand.

lol - i'm right-handed, left eye dominant and have a better backhand than forehand - what the hell does that make me??

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a freak? Just kidding, of course. Eye dominance is only one of many factors when it comes to hitting better on 1 side than the other. The notion of eye dominance merely says that you will very likely be able to judge balls better on 1 side that the other. It says nothing of other factors such as footwork and stroke mechanics.

My right eye is crap. It sees well but doesn't look. (does that make sense?) Like if I close my left eye, I'll still continue to look with it (I'll see all black) and my right eye will look "through" the black. Difficult to explain. Anyway, I have problems seeing 3D (like 3D movies, 3D tests at optometrists, 3D images,...) and I think it does make my game more complicated. (I totally suck at smash, I see 2 balls while looking at it when it's high).

So I have trouble timing well on the BH and on very wide ball on the forehand.

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Very unusual (tho' I'm not quite sure what you mean). Have you seen an optometrist or ophthamologist about this? Does your right eye have problems with both near & far vision? Does it act differently when you look up rather than down or straight ahead?

It could be a problem with the optic characteristics of your eye, a problem with the optic nerve (frm the eye to the brain) or even a prob in the way your brain interprets the image from your right eye (& the way it incorporates that image with the image from your left eye).

Very unusual (tho' I'm not quite sure what you mean). Have you seen an optometrist or ophthamologist about this? Does your right eye have problems with both near & far vision? Does it act differently when you look up rather than down or straight ahead?

It could be a problem with the optic characteristics of your eye, a problem with the optic nerve (frm the eye to the brain) or even a prob in the way your brain interprets the image from your right eye (& the way it incorporates that image with the image from your left eye).

Best to get input from an eye guy.

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I had a few optometrists point of view about this, it seems that my right eye react like the eye of someone who have a cross eye. The brain disconect the cross eye. I have the same thing even though my eye is well aligned. Strange.

a freak? Just kidding, of course. Eye dominance is only one of many factors when it comes to hitting better on 1 side than the other. The notion of eye dominance merely says that you will very likely be able to judge balls better on 1 side that the other. It says nothing of other factors such as footwork and stroke mechanics.

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That is my whole point! As teachers we have to exaggerate great footwork and turn fundamentals to overcome the dominant eye equation. A good example of poor turn fundamentals is Roddick on his backhand side. It looks like he is turning his head to locate the ball which causes his shoulders to be too open which means he has to manipulate the racket and flip his hands. Most players will be open stance but with the open stance the shoulder turn then becomes the key engredient to a clean hit (flat or top).

Suresh, I hope I have this right. Got this from one of my golf magazines. Make a circle using your right thumb and forefinger, pick a small object about 10-15 feet away and look at it through the circle you have made with both eyes open. Now, close first your right eye then the left, object will remain in the circle with your dominant eye open. It will "jump" out of the circle when you close your dominant eye. I believe that you can also use a small tube, like the cardboard from a used roll of tp for this exercise.

Suresh, I hope I have this right. Got this from one of my golf magazines. Make a circle using your right thumb and forefinger, pick a small object about 10-15 feet away and look at it through the circle you have made with both eyes open. Now, close first your right eye then the left, object will remain in the circle with your dominant eye open. It will "jump" out of the circle when you close your dominant eye. I believe that you can also use a small tube, like the cardboard from a used roll of tp for this exercise.

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I believe you have it backwards!! Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

I hate to inject thread drift, but as I recall astigmatism is more important than eye dominance. My eye doctor told me that the main reason so many kids can't play hand-eye games is because they have uncorrected astigmatic conditions. Maybe I misremember?

Anyway, I was born lefty, and was converted to righty by my grandmother. I am right eye dominant. I play right handed, have a powerful forehand, but my backhand is more consistent and was always my bread and butter stroke after my serve.

Tried both tennisparent and jtreed's suggestions. JTReed is correct - the eye that is OPEN when the object does NOT appear to move is dominant.

And what a startling result! My right eye is way more dominant, with or without glasses. I am right handed so that theory does not apply to me.

And I have astigmatism too.

If right eye is dominant and I am a right-hander, I assume forehands will be easier for me than backhands, correct? That is the case with me. I just don't see the ball well on the BH even with a good shoulder turn. I have a good excuse now.

Suresh, I hope I have this right. Got this from one of my golf magazines. Make a circle using your right thumb and forefinger, pick a small object about 10-15 feet away and look at it through the circle you have made with both eyes open. Now, close first your right eye then the left, object will remain in the circle with your dominant eye open. It will "jump" out of the circle when you close your dominant eye. I believe that you can also use a small tube, like the cardboard from a used roll of tp for this exercise.

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I use a variation of this idea that might be a bit easier for some ppl.

Use the thumbs & index fingers of both hands to form a suitable window (round-ish or diamond-shape is fine, but not really important). Hold this window at arm's length and, with both eyes open, look at some distant object that fills up a fair portion of your window.

When you close your dominant eye, the object will shift (quite a bit) to one side of your window.

chess9 said:

I hate to inject thread drift, but as I recall astigmatism is more important than eye dominance. My eye doctor told me that the main reason so many kids can't play hand-eye games is because they have uncorrected astigmatic conditions....

-Robert

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I'm sure that an astigmatism would, indeed, be a major factor. However, for those ppl that have no discernible astigmatism, eye dominance could be a very important factor in judging ball trajectories.

I use a variation of this idea that might be a bit easier for some ppl.

Use the thumbs & index fingers of both hands to form a suitable window (round-ish or diamond-shape is fine, but not really important). Hold this window at arm's length and, with both eyes open, look at some distant object that fills up a fair portion of your window.

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It is best and easier to use a small window rather than a larger window to do this test.

yea im right handed and right eye dominant and my backhand is better than my forehand (does that make sense?)

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It does in a way. It means that when you turn your head you still have your dominant eye on the ball even if you turn your head too much sideways and block the back eye with the bridge of your nose.

However, the back eye is what is most important as it is the eye measuring the depth of the ball. Close off this eye and people tend to swing too soon. Although your left eye may not be dominant, it sounds like your back eye for the backhand is also strong in reading depth.

Keep your face open to the ball so both eyes have a clear shot at the ball.

I am right handed and just figured out that I am right eye dominant. This could be one reason why my backhand is so much better than my forehand. It is more accurate, more powerful, and always reliable.

Just read your posts on astigmatism. I didn't mention I had somewhat severe astigmatism in both eyes corrected this spring. It's amazing how much better I can see and anticipate the ball. I can read the label on the ball at about net distance and have already judged the depth usually before it comes across the net. Before, I would have to wait until the ball was 5 feet away sometimes to have it tracked accurately. Heavy topspin or slice made this even worse, say 3 feet. It was much too late to hit the ball cleanly.

Wait a minute guys. You're starting to get this backwards. If we are going from the baseball theory, which I have heard before, a right handed batter who is left-eye dominant has the advantage. This is because the closest eye to the ball (the left eye in this case) is able to better focus in on the ball. This is not necessarily because it is closer by a couple of inches, but because it is in more of an open position relative to the ball. Its periferal abilities of a ball coming in from the left far exceed the periferal abilities of a right eye with a ball coming in from the left. Does that make sense?

Also, I learned that I was somewhat of an abnormality, being right handed and left eye dominant, when I first learned to shoot a rifle as a kid. Almost all people who are right handed will shoot right handed (which means you look down the sites with your dominant right eye). I however had trouble with that and constantly tried to position my left eye over the sites while shooting right handed (a very clumsy position). I finally gave up and started shooting left handed. What I mean by this little story is - I think most right handers are right eye dominant.

Make a circle using your right thumb and forefinger, pick a small object about 10-15 feet away and look at it through the circle you have made with both eyes open. Now, close first your right eye then the left, object will remain in the circle with your dominant eye open. It will "jump" out of the circle when you close your dominant eye. I believe that you can also use a small tube, like the cardboard from a used roll of tp for this exercise.

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I have always had difficulties in trying to make this test. When I make the circle and try to look through it with both eyes, I either can see the distant object and see the circle in duplicate, or I can see the circle and see the object became doubled.
Do I do something wrong? or it's my eyes that are wrong?

Wait a minute guys. You're starting to get this backwards. If we are going from the baseball theory, which I have heard before, a right handed batter who is left-eye dominant has the advantage. This is because the closest eye to the ball (the left eye in this case) is able to better focus in on the ball. This is not necessarily because it is closer by a couple of inches, but because it is in more of an open position relative to the ball...

- I think most right handers are right eye dominant.

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I had already mentioned cross-dominanace in post #3 of this thread, but this is a good explanation why X-dominanace is preferrred for baseball (but a bit of a handicap for archery and rifle-shooting).

Dunno, it most righties are really right-eyed. I've tested 2 dozen ppl or more and almost as many have been left-eyed as were right-eyed. Of course, that is not really a very large sampling.

Got a sports physical and I have 20/20 vision in both eyes. Although my left eye seems more clear, by the test my right eye is more dominant. I tend to be a lot more consistent on my backhands than forehand. I tend to do this a lot, look down instead of contact point for backhands but I always seem to hit well and hit the right shots without looking at the ball or opponent half the time; it's just a feel thing I have. On forehands I look at the ball coming and contact point but hit less consistent on the forehand side :s.

Interesting. I'm due for a checkup for my contact lenses. If I remember, I'll try to ask my Optometrist. He does the dominant eye test on his patients.

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I'd be interested in hearing what he has to say abt eye dominance percentages. Is he a behavioral optometrist by any chance (... more specifically, does he provide sports vision training)?

I'm also wondering if an individual can change their eye dominance thru training. I got hit in my dominant eye with a ball more than 8 yrs ago. The retina became partially detached &, as result, I still see an occasional phantom light flash when I turn my head quickly. However, the real problem is that the near vision in my dominant eye has deteriorated considerably & I'm wondering if it is worthwhile to try to get my brain to accept the image from my other eye as the dominant view.

C_Urala said:

I have always had difficulties in trying to make this test. When I make the circle and try to look through it with both eyes, I either can see the distant object and see the circle in duplicate, or I can see the circle and see the object became doubled.

Do I do something wrong? or it's my eyes that are wrong?

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This is actually quite normal. It is a matter of convergence. Most of the time our eyes both focus and converge at the same distance. If we look at an object in the distance, our eyes will probably converge for that distant object. Objects that are much closer than that distant object may appear as an unfocused "double" image. On the other hand, if we close-converge, then objects in the distance may appear double.

Try this experiment: Hold up the index finger of one hand about 9" in front of your nose. Line up your other index finger directly behind it abt 2 feet from your nose. If you focus/converge on the closer finger, the one in the background should appear double. If you focus/converge on the distant finger then the finger in the foreground will appear double.

With the eye dominance test that we've suggested in previous posts, try adjusting your eyes to change your focus/convergence to minimize the double image problem. Your other option is either to change the size of your viewing window or change the distance of your window from your eyes to try to minimize the double image effect.

Sidebar-- Thru training, we can learn to focus and converge our eyes independently quite well. We can learn to focus at something near while are eyes converge off in the distance (aka divergence). Or, we can close-converge while we focus on some distant object.

Sometimes we already do these things unconciously, either when we cross our eyes or when we are staring off into space.

Remember those 3-DMagic Eye stereogram pictures that were popluar in the '90s? In order to see the 3-D images hidden within the pictures, you had to adjust your eyes in the proper manner. The trick was to get your eyes to focus and converge at different distances. Usually, your eyes would focus right at the surface of the picture. With your eyes still focused at that distance, you needed to get your eyes to converge at a different distance.

Most, but not all, of these types of 3-D pictures had you converging your eyes past the picture. In this case, if (for example) you were standing 6 feet from the picture, your eyes would be focused at 6 feet, but might have to converge 12 feet away (6 feet past the picture) in order to see the hidden 3-D image.

Some other pictures were set up for close convergence instead. You would need to sort of cross your eyes to see these images. If we were standing 6 feet away, you would still focus at 6 feet but your eyes would converge at 3 feet instead.

This is actually quite normal. It is a matter of convergence. Most of the time our eyes both focus and converge at the same distance. If we look at an object in the distance, our eyes will probably converge for that distant object. Objects that are much closer than that distant object may appear as an unfocused "double" image. On the other hand, if we close-converge, then objects in the distance may appear double.
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With the eye dominance test that we've suggested in previous posts, try adjusting your eyes to change your focus/convergence to minimize the double image problem. Your other option is either to change the size of your viewing window or change the distance of your window from your eyes to try to minimize the double image effect.

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Thanks for the reply. I tried to change the window size and the distance.
I realized that when I look at a distant object, I can see it well only when the window is quite large and/or the distance of it from my eyes is quite short.
In this case, when I close my right eye, the obect shifts to the right, and when I close my left eye, the object goes to the left.
Does it mean that my both eyes are dominant, or neither one is? or what??

I realized that when I look at a distant object, I can see it well only when the window is quite large and/or the distance of it from my eyes is quite short.
In this case, when I close my right eye, the obect shifts to the right, and when I close my left eye, the object goes to the left.
Does it mean that my both eyes are dominant, or neither one is? or what??

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It sounds as if neither eye is dominant (at least for your far sight). Apparently there is a small percentage of the population that does not exhibit eye dominance.

Try the same experiment for an object that is less than 20 ft away. Try it again for an object that is less than 3 ft away. Same results? Do you favor one eye or the other when trying to line up objects? A favorite eye for archery or shooting?

It sounds as tho' you may have a convergence problem (since it seemed that you may have had a particularly difficult time with double images). Do your eyes fatigue easily when reading a book or a long magazine or newspaper article? Easily fatigued when using a computer monitor?

It sounds as if neither eye is dominant (at least for your far sight). Apparently there is a small percentage of the population that does not exhibit eye dominance.

Try the same experiment for an object that is less than 20 ft away. Try it again for an object that is less than 3 ft away. Same results? Do you favor one eye or the other when trying to line up objects? A favorite eye for archery or shooting?

It sounds as tho' you may have a convergence problem (since it seemed that you may have had a particularly difficult time with double images). Do your eyes fatigue easily when reading a book or a long magazine or newspaper article? Easily fatigued when using a computer monitor?

Some ppl that don't exhibit eye domnance are also dyslexic. You?

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No, I'm not dyslexic (since I'm here ) but the test results are independent of the distance.
I'm going to visit a doctor, but in case if neither of my eyes is really dominant, what is it supposed to mean in terms of tennis?

No, I'm not dyslexic (since I'm here ) but the test results are independent of the distance.
I'm going to visit a doctor, but in case if neither of my eyes is really dominant, what is it supposed to mean in terms of tennis?

Not sure if your lack of eye dominance is more of an asset or a liability. Even if you are not dyslexic, you may still have a convergence (or other visual) problem. It may hinder your ability to judge ball speeds or trajectories to some extent, or it may have very little effect. Do you notice any other problems with reading or with double vision (particularly when your eyes are fatigued)?

I had learned a few years after graduating from college that I was born with a learning disability due to a vision problem (not dyslexia) that was never detected until I had contacted a behavioral optometrist who specialized in sports vision training. I had consulted him becuz I felt that my hand-eye was just a little bit off (esp when my eyes were tired). I was a tournament badminton player at the time & felt that he could help me with this & other visual skills.

Before starting the vision training, the optometrist subjected me to a battery of eye tests. One of the things that he discovered was that I had a convergence problem... when my eyes focused on an object that was somewhat near, they focused ok but they actually converged a little bit past the object. When my eyes were completely relaxed they diverged rather than converged. Divergence is fine for objects that are far away but no so for objects that are close by.

Altho' I could close-converge for short periods of time, it was too much strain on my eye muscles to pull them inward to look at something close for extended periods of time. Becuz of this condition, I was unable to read a book or newspaper for much more than 10 minutes at a time. In retrospect, this had been a serious liability for many academic classes where exams were based primarily on (reading) the text. (For other classes where I didnt really have to depend on reading the text, I could very easiliy get A's. School woulda been so much easier if the problem had been diagnosed sooner).

This same reading problem also manifested itself when I played tennis or badminton... i would have a difficult time accurately contacting the ball/shuttle when my eyes became fatigued. Thru vision training, I learned to converge my eyes independently of focusing them. Once I mastered this, I wa able to get my eyes to converge and focus at the same place for close objects. I was also able to maintain a close-convergence for a longer peroid of time so that I could read for 20-30 min at a time rather than only 10-15 min.

Best to consult with an optometrist (or ophthamalogist) to see if you have convergence or some other visual shortcoming due to your lack of eye dominance. Even if you have 20/20 vision or better, there is a whole lot more to vision and visual skills that are really pushed to the limit in sports such as tennis.

The first pic is a stereogram of 3 interlocking rings that requires you to have your eyes (far) converge past the picture to reveal the hidden image. On the other hand, the stereo photos of the flower requires you to close-converge... you need to cross your eyes, so to speak, in order for your brain to generate a 3rd image that will be a 3-D rendering (comprised of the other 2 images).

Suresh, I hope I have this right. Got this from one of my golf magazines. Make a circle using your right thumb and forefinger, pick a small object about 10-15 feet away and look at it through the circle you have made with both eyes open. Now, close first your right eye then the left, object will remain in the circle with your dominant eye open. It will "jump" out of the circle when you close your dominant eye. I believe that you can also use a small tube, like the cardboard from a used roll of tp for this exercise.

It's funny... I tested this again and found my right eye was dominant that time. Oh well, I'm pretty happy with my eyesight, so no worries. I just got vision correction (contacts) after having nasty astigmatism for years, so at least I'm seeing more clearly now. I'm not really competitive so it probably doesn't matter.

About convergence or double vision, yes, I've definitely noticed those at times.

About convergence or double vision, yes, I've definitely noticed those at times.

well based on the window test it looks like my left eye is dominant. i have a stigmatism in both of my eyes, but my left eye is much worse. does that make sense? my forehands are great and my backhands are crap.

The first pic is a stereogram of 3 interlocking rings that requires you to have your eyes (far) converge past the picture to reveal the hidden image. On the other hand, the stereo photos of the flower requires you to close-converge... you need to cross your eyes, so to speak, in order for your brain to generate a 3rd image that will be a 3-D rendering (comprised of the other 2 images).

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Judging by the fact that I easily can see these interlocking rings, but I failed (yet) to see a 3-d object in the second pic, I think, something about close-covergence IS there.
I had a severe brain concussion in the past, and after that, it became somewhat more difficult for me to learn... It didn't affected my grades, yet I'm not that brilliant kid I used to be. leave alone, I'm not a kid at all [sigh]

I just managed to see the 3-d flower. Only, I needed a pensil to help to properly converge my eyes.

BTW it's possible to see the a 3-D image in the picture with rings both far-converged and close-converged. Only in the latter case, the image is not prominent , but bulged-in or stamped and it's less in size.

well based on the window test it looks like my left eye is dominant. i have a stigmatism in both of my eyes, but my left eye is much worse. does that make sense? my forehands are great and my backhands are crap.

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Yes, it is very possible for your dominant-eye vision to be worse than the vision in your non-dom eye. Such is the case for my own eyes. I sustained an injury to my dominant eye some years back. My distance vision recovered in my dominant eye but my near vision has gotten pretty bad in the dominant eye.

Eye dominance is probably established when we are very young. Newborn babies do not see very well at all. We must "learn" to see and make sense of the visual images that we are bombarded with as babies. My guess is that as we learn to make sense of these visual images, the view from one of our eyes becomes the one that our brain choses to be the dominant view. It may be the image from the chosen eye that has some optical superiority or it may be 'cuz of some other physical trait within the optice nerve or within the brain. It could be that muscles associated with 1 eye develops quicker than the other or it can even be largely arbitrary as to which eye is chosen as dominant.

The problems with your backhand may be more as a result with your astigmatism rather than your eye dominance. Or it could be that your backhand problem has less to do with eyesight than it does with stroke mechanics or your stroke timing on the Bh side.

C_Urala said:

I just managed to see the 3-d flower. Only, I needed a pensil to help to properly converge my eyes.

BTW it's possible to see the a 3-D image in the picture with rings both far-converged and close-converged. Only in the latter case, the image is not prominent , but bulged-in or stamped and it's less in size.

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The use of the pencil is a great idea to force your eyes to close-converge. I was going to suggest using your index finger, but the tip of a pencil sounds like a better idea.

For other that have problems with the "flower" pix, the idea is to get your eyes close-converge on the tip of the pencil. Hold the pencil approx 1/2 way between your nose and the stereo images. Focus & converge your eyes on the tip of the pencil (with the images in the background). You may have to move the pencil closer or further to get your eyes to generate a 3rd image. Keep your eyes converged on the pencil while trying to bring the new image into focus. (Even tho' your eyes remain converged on the pencil tip, the pencil will no longer be in focus if you are doing this properly).

Some ppl will have more difficulty with close-convergence (cross-eyed View) images than with the other type of images (such as the 1st 2 stereograms that I posted). This may or may not be as a result of convergence insufficiency (or some other vergence problem). Best to consult a professional about this.

Some years before 3D stereograms became popular, I sought the aid of a sports vision optometrist for some moderate visual shortcomings. One thing that he found was convergence insufficiency. One of the devices that he used to aid me with my convergence prob was the Brock string. (For a closer look at the device click here). Another convergence aid was the use of 2 pairs of card with the following images:

Figure 1

For figure 1, the eyes are supposed to converge in the distance (so that the eye vergence is almost parallel). If done properly, a 3-D effect will be observed such that the inner (green) circle appears closer than the larger (red) circle. For more on this check out this link.

Figure 2

For figure 2, the eyes should close-converge (use the pencil trick, if needed, to get your eyes to cross). This time the inner (green) circle should appear further (in the background) than the larger (red) circle.
For more about both types of figures check this link.

For an added challenge, try to switch back and forth between parallel viewing & cross-viewing (note that the images above can actually be seen using either vergence method). Try to keep the 3-D effect intact while moving your head left & right for each type. Try moving further & nearer to the screen while keeping the derived image from getting doubled or distorted.

For a a more advanced challenge, print out 1 or both of the above images (make them a little larger if your prefer). Cut each of the printed figures up the middle. You can now physically very the distance between the left eye circles and the right eye circles. For a given seperation, first get your eyes to generate the proper 3D image. Once you've got the 3D image locked, vary the seperation while continuing to maintain that 3D image.

See if you can get your hands on a Brock string so that you can perform some focus & vergence eye training on your own. With the 3 beads at various distances try to jump quickly from 1 to another. With each jump, converge & focus on the new bead a cleanly (& quickly) as possible.

For more stereograms also check out the links mentioned previously as well as EyeTricks. Also google on "stereograms" for more. For other types of visual exercises take a look at post #2 and post #12 (coming soon) on my Improving RT & Visual skills thread.

I was talking about this in my club the other day. 80% of the public are right hand right eye dominant or left hand left eye. 20% of the population are cross dominant. In certain sports cross eye dominance helps such as baseball. I am from Ireland where an Irish sport known as hurling is very popular which is basically like hocky however the ball can be caught and hit in the air. It is played on a field. If you want you can fins a clip on youtube. A study was done on a county team which found that all 30 players in the squad were cross eye dominant. This is like all batters on a baseball team being croos eye dominant. In tennis it helps to be cross eye dominant for the serve and forehand. However, interestingly for me my backhand is the better of my shots. Also, a player may actually change in their dominance over time. If a player is constantly playing a certain sport it is training cross eye dominance and so a persons dominance can change.

^ You are talking about the first image in post #33, correct? Were you successful with the 2 figures in post #41? The technique used for Figure 1 (post #41) would be the same as the interlocking rings in post #33. How about some of the other images (in posts #29 and 33)?

Normally when we look at an object our eyes should naturally focus and converge at the same distance. If we the eyes do not converge at the proper distance, then the object of interest would produce a double image. The images in posts #29, 33 & 41 require us to converge the eyes at a different distance than they are focused. This is not a normal/natural task for our eyes/vision.

Sometimes when we cross our eyes or when we stare off into space, we may be altering our normal convergence point. If you cannot see the interlocking rings it might just mean that you are having difficulty focusing and converging independently. Have you looked at the suggestions in the following links?

Almost everyone has a better forehand than backhand. You don't think it has to do with the forehand being the more natural stroke?

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An argument can be made that the BH is the more natural stroke. Most people learn to throw a frisbee with backhand before they learn it forehanded. When dealing cards, we normally employ a BH motion. Baseball batting swings, cricket bat swings, golf swings -- BH or FH swings? Not certain.

based on the tests in this thread, my left eye is dominant and I am right handed. But I have a better backhand and have focused entirely on improving my forehand for years. The backhand is a more penetrating and versatile shot.

I think it has to do with all the frisbee I played as a kid. I was pretty good and lots of backhand practice. Come to think of it that explains the "bending at the elbow" I have had in the backhand.

So IMHO this dominant eye thing is not applicable....but I DO have astigmatism so maybe that changes things?

I remember a study that suggested that the vast majority of elite tennis player and golfers were right hand, right foot and left eye dominant. This might however also be reflected in the general population, I don't know those stats.

I remember a study that suggested that the vast majority of elite tennis player and golfers were right hand, right foot and left eye dominant. This might however also be reflected in the general population, I don't know those stats.